Take My Breath Away
by afrozenheart412
Summary: A Quadruplet Adventure, a small ficlet, an homage to a few of my favorite Mac/Stella authors. Stella, with the children, tries to eat a peaceful meal outside in the last of the warm fall days when someone catches her eye, taking her breath away. Chaos is normal with a lot of children.


Disclaimer: I don't own the show or anything affiliated with them. Only the DVDs.

* * *

In the crisp fall weather it was still warm enough to sit outside and enjoy a cup of coffee or eat a good meal with a light cool breeze blowing. Everything was peaceful and hopping since it was one of the best hidden cafe's that New York has to offer. Quiet and peaceful for everyone, except for one family.

"Where is it," Stella mutters digging through her purse. "Where's that key?" Plopping her purse onto one of the free chairs around the table, she yanks it open wider when a huge hairy black spider drops in front of her face. Screaming she jumps in her chair.

"Katherine McCanna Taylor!" She sternly sighs, happy that it wasn't a real spider but a toy that her daughter insisted on having. "What did your father tell you about doing that?"

"Umm...," Kate mumbles ducking her head and trying to hide in her chair.

"Kate, tell me what your father said. Or do you want me to tell him what you have been doing while he is away?" Stella asks, hiding a smile.

"I'm not to tease Mommy with the spider, she doesn't like it." Kate says with trembling lips, rubbing a fist against her eye. "But Gary really likes you, Mommy!" Standing on the chair to wave the stick that held the string from which 'Gary' was attached to, his googly eyes rolling wildly. Her blue dress scrunched around her waist, showing off her shadowy black tights.

"Kate, you know how I don't like-Gary? How did you come up with Gary?" Stella asks straightening out Kate's blue dress; it had ridden up when she jumped onto the seat.

"He looks like a Gary," looking at the spider with her childhood logic.

"Anyhow, please put him away we are about to have brunch." Stella nicely replies, still digging through the purse.

"But...but Rose got to bring Blaze! I don't see why I can't have Gary with me. It's not fair!" Stomping her little foot she points to her sister, who is sitting next to her in red dress with a matching red cowboy hat and boots.

Holding onto the hobby horse that Uncle Sid got her, Rose Lillian Taylor looked up as her name was said and stuck out her tongue at her sister. Noticing this, Stella immediately put a stop to the beginning of a tussle between the two. They are the best of friends but there was a point in which the teasing did get a little out of hand.

"Rose! Stop that; be nice to your sister. All of you be nice. I don't want to have a problem with all of you today. Give me Blaze and _Gary_," Stella says as she rolls her eyes, taking the spider and hobby horse away and leaning them against her chair. "Now sit still, while Mommy looks for the key to unlock your sister from the table." Looking over at her other daughter, yanking at the handcuffs which are locked around the leg of the table, shaking it. Grabbing it to keep the glass table top steady, she turns to her daughter.

"Alice Iris Papakota Taylor! Stop yanking at the table, it could fall and hurt you," she tells her softly to stem the tears that were about to flow. Pushing back a strand of her hair, dark brown and silky like her father's, "It'll be alright, I know I have the key in here somewhere. Keep an eye on your younger sister. Can you do that for me?"

Alice nodded her head and hiccupped, "I will, Mommy. Kirstie won't disappear from my eyes." She smiles at her mommy and in her yellow dress turns around and sits down on the pavement, in front of her sister so hard that it makes her pigtails bounce. Laughing a little Stella looks at her youngest, Kirstie. Dressed in a pink outfit and the sucking her thumb, Kirstie cradles her favorite toy in the world in her arms, a cute little lamb that her friend from kindergarten got her.

"Are you doing alright there, Kirstie?" Stella asks aloud, keeping an eye on her loving brood, digging around for the key.

Kirstie, hearing her mother's voice, takes her thumb out of her mouth to answer, "I'm good, Mommy! When are we going to be done with brunch and get to Mel's house? We were gonna to play barnyard together. She still thinks chickens are better than lambs!" She huffs tightening her hold around her stuffed toy.

With a twinkle in her green eyes, Stella turns to her children "We aren't going anywhere today. We're going to enjoy the last of the sunshine and eat. Who knows what surprises we will have today? Ah-ha!" Finding the keys in at the bottom of her purse, she quickly grabs it before it is buried again and unlocks Alice. Brushing off the bottom of her dress, she picks her up and places her gently into a chair next to Kirstie.

"Surprises, what kind of surprises?" Rose bouncing a little with an idea that just popped into her head. "Does it have anything to do with that cap gun I want?"

"No! The last thing you need is another little pistol after the collection of water guns you have." Stella tells her sternly, giving her the eye.

The waitress, having finished with her other customers, walks up to the table. "Hi, my name is Ava. I'll be your waitress today. Are you ready to order or do you need some more time?

Averting the crisis and with hungry children on her hands, Stella opens the menu when something catches her eye. She lets a breath and stares. Following their mother's gaze, the children wonder what is going on. Looking down the street, they see their father walking toward them. Squealing in excitement and nearly knocking over their chairs in their rush to get to their Dad, they hop down and run as fast as their little legs can to get to him.

"How long have you been married?" Asks Ava, with a warm smile on her face, noticing that her customer wasn't with her anymore.

"Ten years," Stella whispers, "and not a day goes by that he doesn't take my breath away." She gets up and follows the children to greet her husband.

"Lucky woman," Ava murmurs as she wanders off to help another customer, giving them some privacy.

Bending down on one knee, Mac gathers all of his girls into his arms and gives them a huge hug. Feeling his heart begin to fill with love he opens his eyes and connects to the green gaze that haunted so many of his lonely nights, and spills over with the rush of love he sees in them.

"Okay, girls. Let's go back to Mommy, shall we?" Mac smiles as he holds his hands out and they place their tiny palms in his with a trust and love that still brings tears to his eyes. Walking toward the woman who made it possible, he stops in front of her and raises his hand and runs it softly over her cheek and into her curly hair. Pulling her head gently toward him, he whispers into her ears "It's been too long, Stella."

"An hour away from you Mac is too long." She sniffs, a tear running down her cheek. "No more undercover jobs, okay? I don't care if Sinclair needed you personally for this, no more."

"I promise," he says still enjoying the sensation of her cheek against his rough one. Breathing in her spicy scent, he just waits...keeping this moment alive. Her warm body pressed into his and her floaty summer dress that he remembered from when he went after her in Greece, swirling about them in the breeze.

"Mommy! Daddy! Alice handcuffed herself to the table again!" Kirstie shouted from the table, pointing at her sister who was yanking at her the handcuffs again; while Rose and Kate were struggling over freeing Gary from Blaze's yarn mane.

A deep rumble of laughter escapes from Mac's chest as Stella rests her forehead over his heart and sighs. "You should be lucky that I don't kill you! Since you left me alone with them for a week!"

"You would miss the quads, admit it!" He teases her.

Stella only laces her arms around his neck and looks up at him, "Yes. I would miss the quadruplets and you." Pressing her lips to his in a quick kiss, she takes his hand and they walk back toward their family. With the leaves rustling and the wind softly blowing, it is a perfect day to spend outside with your family.

* * *

This is a dear family memory, my mom used to tell me about how we would meet my dad somewhere and when she saw him walking toward her after a long trip overseas that it would never fail to take her breath away.

This is a dedication to all of the Mac and Stella fans but to the four people I know who will be hurting very deeply tonight. Blue Shadowdancer, Lily Moonlight, AIP, and SMacked Hard. You guys are my friends, and I hope this brings a small measure of comfort to know that in our hearts the ship of Mac and Stella will never die. My hope is still alive.

Please check out their stories, Eye Spied by BlueShadowdancer, Where Have The Cowboys Gone and Once Upon A Time In the Old West by Lily Moonlight, any of the wonderful stories by AIP (her handcuffs are in most of them) and SMacked Hard. Each and every one of them is a fantastic writer. This was also beta'd by the beautiful Brinchen86! She helped a lot in giving me the okay to post this, because while I've had this idea for ages. It was only until yesterday, that it flowed out of my fingers. Thank you for reading! :)


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